Deuteronomy 23:19-25

19 "{You shall not charge your brother interest on money}, interest on food, or interest on anything that one could lend on interest

20 You may lend on interest to the foreigner, but to your countryman you may not lend on interest, so that Yahweh your God may bless you {in all your undertakings} in {the land where you are going}, {in order to take possession of it}.

21 "{When you make a vow} to Yahweh your God, you shall not postpone {fulfillment of it}, [for] certainly Yahweh your God shall require it from you and [if postponed] {you will incur guilt}.

22 And {if you refrain from vowing}, {you shall not incur guilt}.

23 The utterance of your lips {you must perform diligently} [just] as you have vowed freely to Yahweh your God whatever [it was] that you promised with your mouth.

24 "When you come into the vineyard of your neighbor, then you may eat grapes {as you please} and {until you are full}, but you shall not put [any] into your container.

25 "When you come into the standing grain of your neighbor, then you may pluck ears with your hand, but you may not {swing} a sickle among the standing grain of your neighbor."

Deuteronomy 23:19-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 23

Orders are here given to restrain certain persons from entering into the congregation of the Lord, De 23:1-8, and to take care that there be no unclean person in the camp, or any indecent thing done in it, De 23:9-14, to protect fugitive servants, and not deliver them up to their masters, De 23:15,16 not to suffer a filthy person to be among them, or any filthy thing to be brought into the house of God for a vow, De 23:17,18, then follow some laws against usury, and for the payment of vows, De 23:19-23, and the chapter is concluded with some directions how to behave in a neighbour's vineyard, or standing corn, De 23:24,25.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "You shall not lend on interest to your brother, interest of money"
• [b]. Hebrew "of"
• [c]. Hebrew "of"
• [d]. Or "can lend"
• [e]. Or "brother"
• [f]. Literally "in all the sending[s] out of your hand"
• [g]. Literally "the land that you [are] going there"
• [h]. Literally "to take possession"
• [i]. Literally "When/if you vow a vow"
• [j]. Literally "to fulfill it"
• [k]. Literally "it shall become against you [as] sin"
• [l]. Literally "if you refrain to make a vow"
• [m]. Literally "it shall not become against you [as] sin"
• [n]. Literally "you must observe and you shall do"
• [o]. Or "spoke"
• [p]. Or "If"
• [q]. Literally "according to your desire"
• [r]. Literally "to your satiation"
• [s]. Or "If"
• [t]. Literally "wave"